For decades, the “About Us” page has been treated as a sacred website staple. A long scroll of bios, photos, dates, and facts—sometimes tucked behind three clicks, rarely read. But if you’re running a classical school in 2025, it’s time to let go of the old model. Your school deserves better than a digital yearbook. You need a narrative.

Instead of leaning on the tired “About Us” format, build a page (or pages) that invite prospective families into a compelling formation story—one where they can see their child growing in wisdom, virtue, and delight.

Why Traditional “About Us” Pages Fall Flat

Think about the last time you read a company’s About page word for word. Most of us skim. Why? Because they tend to be:

• Too internal: Staff bios and accreditation lists matter to you—not necessarily to a discerning parent.
• Too vague: “Founded in 1998 by a group of dedicated families” doesn’t show how you’re different.
• Too late in the journey: By the time someone clicks “About Us,” they’ve already formed a first impression. If it’s weak, they won’t go deeper.

In a competitive market of independent and charter schools, a flat About page is a missed opportunity. Classical schools especially—whose mission depends on story—should lead with formation, not formality.

What to Build Instead: A Formation-Driven Narrative

Parents are asking: “What kind of person will my child become if we commit to this school for the next 8–12 years?” Your site should answer that in layers, from homepage to admissions. But the page formerly known as “About Us” has a special role. It’s where you can:

• Trace a student’s journey from grammar through rhetoric
• Illustrate how your virtues show up in real student life
• Show—not just tell—what makes your approach different

Replace “About Us” with a page titled something like:

• “Formed for Life”
• “Why We’re Here”
• “Our Formation Story”
• “The Habits We Build”

Whatever you call it, the key is to move from description to transformation. Start with the end in mind: Who will your graduates become? Then reverse engineer that vision through the formative practices that shape them year by year.

Let the Mission Speak—Without Overexplaining It

Your mission statement deserves more than a buried sentence in a sidebar. Bring it forward. Break it apart visually. Use short, powerful headers like:

• “Truth Is Not Relative”
• “Virtue Is Practiced, Not Preached”
• “We Still Read Homer”

Pair these with real photos—students reading aloud, a chapel liturgy, a house competition, a recitation from Augustine. Let the mission be shown, not just stated. If you want inspiration, the Academic Philosophy page strategy does an excellent job connecting high-level ideas with student formation in practical ways.

Break the Bios: Introduce People by Purpose

Do you need to list every teacher’s credentials? Maybe. But not on your main narrative page. That belongs in a Staff Directory, or behind an Admin portal. Instead, use your core storytelling space to spotlight how teachers shape culture.

Rather than “Meet Our Faculty,” try “Who Leads the Formation?”

Use storytelling blurbs:

Mr. Gallagher doesn’t just teach Latin. He sings it with his fourth graders. Every week ends with a Latin hymn—and a small dose of joy.

This builds trust far faster than degrees or headshots. It shows that the faculty aren’t just employed—they’re enlisted in a mission.

Embed Parent & Student Voice

If you don’t already have quotes or short stories from families, now’s the time. Every prospective parent wonders: “Do families like us thrive here?” Help them find the answer through real voices.

• Quick video clips from parents who were once skeptical—and are now all-in
• Photo + quote from a graduate now in college, linking back to the school’s impact
• A three-sentence note from a 2nd grader who “loves reciting things like Cicero”

Mix joy and formation. A good About page should leave a lump in the throat—or at least a sense that something meaningful is happening here.

Link to Formation-Forward Pages

Once you’ve crafted a page around your mission and student journey, build bridges to other mission-aligned areas. One natural place to point parents is your tour experience. If you haven’t revisited that, see how to create tour pages that convert through wonder.

Another smart internal link is your blog content. A resource like this classical school blog strategy can extend your formation storytelling and build trust post-visit.

Final Tips to Make It Actually Get Read

• Keep sections short. Use white space. Use emotion.
• Design for scroll: Pull quotes, section titles, and iconography should guide the eye.
• Use a button CTA: “See How Formation Begins” → links to admissions or tour page.

Your story is not your staff bios. It’s the lives your school helps shape. Parents don’t need to know when you were founded—they need to know who their child will become.

Build a page that makes them feel that future. Then give them the next step.